Synthesis and characterization of Sr-doped Ce/Mn nanocomposites for fuel cell applications

In this study, the feasibility of strontium (Sr)-doped cerium/manganese (Ce/Mn) nanocomposites as potential electrolyte materials for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) has been checked. This study aims to improve ionic conductivity and catalytic activity, essential for the overall performance of fuel cells. The Sr-doped Ce/Mn nanocomposites were synthesized using a sol-gel method followed by thermal treatment. Structural investigation was done by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, crystalline size synthesized samples was recorded as approximately 54.08 nm. The grown sample size was compatible and less than 100 nm. Evidence shows particle size has an important influence on the various high-tech uses. Morphological analysis shows the distinguishable grain boundaries on the samples and a similar size across the surface. These grain boundaries impede electrical conduction, and the energy band gap of the prepared material, which was investigated by using UV-Visible spectroscopy. The synthesized material’s band gap decreased steadily as its composition grew, which is characteristic of semiconducting materials. An electrochemical workstation and current-voltage (I-V) measurements show that the conductivity of the synthesized samples enhances with the steady increase in concentration of Ce and Mn dopants in the sample. The performance of the electrolyte material’s specific capacitance of all synthetic samples was determined to be (382.39, 436.97, and 500.312) F/g. The C sp value was greatest for the sample having the highest concentration of dopant. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT Highlights of research work Synthesis of Sr x Ce 1-x Mn y (x= 0.03, 0.05 and 0.07, y=1) nanocomposites were synthesized by using sol-gel method. Metal-doped Ce/Mn nanocomposites enhanced the storage capacity and electrical conductivity.